Saturday, May 11, 2013

the happiest trip on earth

Last week our family took a trip to the happiest place on earth. (debatable about it actually being the happiest place, but it IS definitely the happiest theme park as we also went to Six Flags, which stunk in the happiest category!) This involved two Sundays of me driving 7-10 hours instead of attending our normal church services, which really bummed me out. I couldn't figure out a way to avoid it, but I sure do hate traveling on Sunday. In young women's this year, the theme is "Stand Ye in Holy Places" and we've talked with the young women (girls from the ages of 12-18) about how this doesn't just mean hanging out at the temple 24-7, but it also means to learn how to create holy places in our own life.
I decided to apply this to our trip and looked for ways to make our car trip a holy place.

Sometimes I hate technology and sometimes I just love it so stinking much! I had my lovely iphone loaded up with the latest general conference talks, hymns from the mormon tabernacle choir, and my favorite Sunday Variety playlist. (which is fabulous, if I do say so myself) With a 7 hour car ride ahead of me, I started with conference and basically played it until the kids wanted something new. (they lasted pretty long!) And then I brought in the music. I love that the spirit can fill a car, a house, a room....anywhere that you invite him. My car really became a holy place as we made room in our day for the spirit. I felt my Savior's love as I listened to the words of the Prophet and to the many songs that sing of our Savior. It was such a spiritual experience to feel the promptings of the spirit as I had opened up my heart. I had opened up the door to personal revelation as I was (rather unsafely) jotting down tidbits of inspiration that I was receiving about parenting issues, ideas for young women's, thoughts about different young women in our ward and ways that I could help them and of course, things that I need to work on.

Sometimes, we tend to think of all of the things we shouldn't do. We shouldn't listen to this music, we shouldn't watch that movie...you get the idea. But I think it is much more important to find the things we should do. I could have listened to any old music on my iphone and I probably wouldn't have been "hurt" by it. I keep a dang clean stock of music. But the music that I listened to on our drive drew me close to my Savior and reminded me (once again!) that he is so aware of each and every one of us and is WAITING for us to reach out to him.

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you. Seek me diligently, and ye shall find me. Ask and ye shall receive. Knock and it will be opened unto you. [D & C 88:63]

Being blessed with 6 girls brings lots of joy and lots of chaos into our house. We get to do girly to the sixth degree and I enjoy every moment of it. Almost. My poor husband is outnumbered in a major way, but he did ask for it when he said that he wanted all girls, a mere 14 years ago.